We must endow our man with the full complement of injustice; we must allow him to have secured a spotless reputation for virtue while committing the blackest crimes; he must be able to retrieve any mistake, to defend himself with convincing eloquence if his misdeeds are denounced, and, when force is required, to bear down all opposition by his courage and strength and by his command of friends and money.
Jan Ladislav Dussek – Sonata for harp
Anna Lelkes, Harpist
There are other harp sonatas by Dussek (I believe), but this is my favorite. I can’t for the life of me figure out its opus number or whatever. It’s almost like an ultra-simplified tone poem — it evokes a lot of images but is light and enjoyable, not trying too hard.
Sir, no man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money.
Nudge – “Two Hands”
As Good As Gone
This atmospheric but slightly funky album reminds me of Rio En Medio’s Frontier, but a little less mysterious. It can be too background-y at times but I think that the flow of the music and its lack of jarring and unexpected sounds is to be credited for that.
Doré, for Tennyson’s Idylls of the King. Look at the detail in the big version.
Foma – “Seraphim Succubi”
Inverness
The best song off an uneven, but interesting album. These guys have a knack for changing their songs up subtly but meaningfully about halfway through, and this one is no exception. It’s also the song where the singer’s breathy voice and the traditional but well-wielded instrumentation hits the mark most completely.
